As medical device technologies continue to evolve, active implanted medical devices have gained increasing popularity in the medical field. For example, one type of implanted medical device includes neurostimulator devices, which are battery-powered or battery-less devices that are designed to deliver electrical stimulation to a patient. Through proper electrical stimulation, the neurostimulator devices can provide pain relief for patients.
An implanted medical device, for example a neurostimulator, can be controlled using an electronic programming device such as a clinician programmer or a patient programmer. These programmers can be used by medical personnel or the patient to define the particular electrical stimulation therapy to be delivered to a target area of the patient's body or alter one or more parameters of the electrical stimulation therapy. When a medical device is implanted into a patient or when one or more parts of an existing implanted system are replaced, information about the implanted medical devices must be provided to the clinician programmer and other associated systems to prepare the medical device for configuration, programming, operation, and monitoring. Current methods for identifying the medical device to the clinician programmer and other associated systems are time consuming and prone to error.
Therefore, although electronic programming devices for controlling implanted medical devices have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in every aspect.